Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

मार्कंडेय उवाच । मा साहसमिदं कार्षीर्भद्र वाचं श्रृणुष्व मे । एति जीवंतमानंदो नरं वर्षशतादपि

Transliteration

mārkaṃḍeya uvāca | mā sāhasamidaṃ kārṣīrbhadra vācaṃ śrṛṇuṣva me | eti jīvaṃtamānaṃdo naraṃ varṣaśatādapi

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Do not commit this rash deed, O noble one; listen to my words. A man may live even for a hundred years, and yet still meet with sorrow.”

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (prohibitive particle used with लोट्/लङ्/विधिलिङ्)

• साहसम्: rash act
• साहसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कार्षीः: (you) should do / do
• कार्षीः: Kriyā (Prohibited action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; निषेधार्थे ‘मा’ सह (do not do)

• भद्र: O good one
• भद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• वाचम्: speech, words
• वाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मे: my
• मे: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन; (enclitic)

• एति: comes
• एति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जीवन्तम्: living
• जीवन्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त, √जीव् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आनन्दः: joy
• आनन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वर्षशतात्: from a hundred years (even beyond)
• वर्षशतात्: Apādāna (Source/limit/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्विगु (शतं वर्षाणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambhāvanā/Api-artha (Emphasis/अपि-अर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even/also)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya stands between the king and the fire, palm raised in prohibition/assurance; his face is compassionate. The king pauses, shaken, listening as the sage speaks of life’s sorrows even across a hundred years.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rash actions born of grief should be restrained; dharma is upheld by listening to wise guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a moral admonition within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse discourages a reckless act rather than prescribing a rite.